Automatic poultry-duster.



P. C. FISH.

AUTOMATIC POULTRY DUSTER.

APPLICATION rmm JULY 5, 1010.

974,252. Patented Nov. 1, 1910.

I I [TIVESSES PHILMER C. FISH, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

AUTOMATIC POULTRY-DUSTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 1, 19110.

Application filed July 5, 1910. Serial No. 570,296.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Pr-nmrnn G. Fisn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Poultry-Dusters; and I do declare the fol- I lowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letter-sand figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to a poultry dusting apparatus and has for its object to provide an apparatus for automatically dusting lice powder onto the backs of fowls which pass therebeneath. In accomplishing this object I have provided the improvements which will presently be fully described and are illustrated in the drawings, in which Figure I is a perspective view of an apparatus constructed according to my invent-ion,- illustrating its preferred form of mounting. Fig. II is a cross sectional view of the duster. Fig. III is a plan view of the base. Fig. IV is a detail perspective view of one of the agitators.

Referring more in detail to the parts :--1 designates a box or runway containing road dust, or like material, and is of a construction commonly found in poultry yards.

At the sides of the box 1 are uprights 2, between which a rope or wire 3 is stretched at a suitable distance above the box to sup port the cluster in swinging position.

The duster proper consists of a base 4 of rigid material, preferably of stiff cardboard having a number of perforations 5 therein.

Extending beneath the bottom of the base 4 and caught up at the sides, preferably in the form of a pyramid, is a cloth 6 which forms a lining for the under side of the base and incloses an upper chamber 7 for containing a suitable powder 8.

The device is supported by a cord, or the like, 9, which is attached to the apex of the cloth member and is suspended from the cross wires.

10 designates agitators which are preferably formed of stiff wire having a reversibly curved head 11-11 located bet-ween the cloth lining 6 and the bottom of the base 4;

the ends of the wire being rojected through the cloth lining and extent ed downwardly a suitable distance to provide rocking arms 12.

The device may be provided with any suitable number of such agitators, but I prefer to provide a sutlicient number to insure a dusting operation, should a fowl pass beneath any part of the base.

In the upper part of the cloth member (3 is an opening 13, through which powder may be inserted and which may be closed by means of a draw string 14.

I prefer to anchor the device in place by means of guy cords 15, which extend from the corners of the base to parts of the lower dust box 1, or from relative positions when the base is circular in formation.

Presuming the device to be constructed and mounted as shown and described, a fowl passing through, or dusting in the box 1, will strike the rocker arms 12 and move same laterally, so as to rock the head 1l-1l'. The rocker head having parts projecting laterally from the arms 12, will push the cloth lining away from the base, when so engaged, and when released will snap back to horizontal position, striking the base 4, so as to ar powder through the perforations 5 onto the cloth lining and snapping the lining, so as to sift powder through the fabric onto the back of the fowl.

It is a well known fact that dust of any kind will kill lice on poultry, and also that the fowls themselves will take advantage of a dust box provided for this purpose to exterminate lice. It is impossible, however, for the dust to be thoroughly applied to the backs of the fowls, by the fowls themselves, and it is therefore necessary for dust to be applied to the backs by other means. This dust is very injurious to whoever is using it, as it is practically impossible to apply it to a fowl without taking a part of it into the lungs. With my device the dust may be applied as effectively as by the methods heretofore used without the disagreeable effects, incident to the manual application.

I-laving thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is Claims. v

11. An automatic poultry duster comprising a container having a. cloth bottom, an agitator having a head supported on the cloth bottom, and a rocker arm extending through the cloth bottom, for the purpose set forth.

2. In an automatic poultry duster, a container having a cloth bottom; and an agitator comprising a head having laterally projecting portions, and downturned rocker arms extended through the container bottom, for the purpose set forth.

3. In an automatic poultry duster, a container having a cloth bottom, and an agitator having a head provided with reversibly curved portions, which are supported on the cloth bottom, and have downturned arms extended through the cloth bottom, substantially as set forth.

4. An automatic poultry duster comprising a cloth bottom, and an agitator formed of stiff wire having its center portion bent to form a horizontal, reversibly curved head, and its end portions turned downwardly and projected through the cloth bottom, sub stantially as set forth.

5. In an automatic poultry duster, a container comprising a rigid, perforated base member having an outer covering of fabric, and an agitator having a head located be tween the base and covering, and arm members projected through the base, for the purpose set forth.

6. In an automatic poultry duster, a con tainer comprising a perforated base member having an outer covering of fabric, and an agitator comprising a head member located between the base and covering and having rocking arms projected through the covering and depending from the container, substantially as set forth.

7 In an automatic poultry duster, a container comprising a perforated bottom having an outer covering of fabric, and an agitator comprising a head having laterally projecting portions, and downturned rocking arms, the head being supported on the fabric covering beneath the base, and the arms being projected through said lining, for the purpose set forth.

8. In an automatic poultry duster, a container comprising a rigid, perforated base having an outer covering, the covering being extended over the edge of the base and extended upwardly to form a container thereabove, and agitators having head members supported on the covering beneath the base and having rocking arms extended through the covering, substantially as set forth.

9. In an automatic poultryv duster, a container comprising a rigid perforated base, and a cloth member extending beneath the base and gathered thereabove to inclose a dust containing chamber, a portion of the fabric above the base being provided with a filling opening, and agitators formed of stifi' wire having reversibly curved head portions loosely supported on the fabric beneath the base and having downturned end arms projected through the lining, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

10. The combination with a dust box having side standards, of a rope extending between said standards above the dust box, a container comprising a rigid perforated bottom, and a fabric extending beneath the bottom and gathered thereabove and supported loosely from said cross rope, agitators having head portions located between the perforated base and fabric underlining and having rocker arms extending through said lining, and guy members extending from said container, to parts of the duster box, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PHILMER C. FISH. Witnesses MYRTLE M. J AoKsoN, FRANK RosEBnRRY. 

